


Blessing

by Whit Merule (whit_merule)



Series: Re-cognition [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 01:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6733261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whit_merule/pseuds/Whit%20Merule
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Timestamp to <i>Twinning</i>, set before chapter 15. Gabriel comes to Sam in the night with an offer.<br/>(No, not that kind of offer.)<br/>(Well, okay, that kind too.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blessing

Gabriel knocked at Sam’s bedroom door.

Sam looked up at him over his laptop screen. “Who are you and what have you done with the archangel Gabriel?”

It was a feeble joke, given every time Sam saw Gabriel all his instincts still screamed _who are you and what have you done with my brother_. But Gabriel shrugged and bounced into the room anyway, flopping down on the end of Sam’s bed.

“Can’t a guy be polite?”

“Not unless he wants something,” said Sam resignedly. “I mean, I imagine. I wouldn’t know. You’ve never _been_ polite.”

“Anybody would think you didn’t like me, Sammykins. And here’s me traipsing all the way from Madagascar to do you a favour. Got an offer for you.”

“No.”

Gabriel gasped and clutched his hands to his heart. “Arrow to the heart.” Then he sat up, and the mockery fell away, and he _was_ the archangel. Even Dean’s eyes seemed more golden than green. “I mean it though, Sam. Consider it... recompense. The universe owes you one by now, wouldn’t you say?”

Sam studied him, silent; and Gabriel almost smiled. “Your brother accepted it. And yeah, you can imagine how he grilled me first.”

“And when’re you letting him have his body back?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Tonight. Don’t need him now the big world-ending face-offs are done.”

“What’ll you do?”

“Oh, I can manage without a vessel for most day-to-day things. Snap up a solid illusion of my old body to chat to humans, possess a raven or a jackal here or there to slink about the place. Ravens actually kinda like being possessed, did you know? They think it’s a good wild time.”

“Right. And you just want to give us a gift before you go. What’s the catch?”

“No catch.”

“Sure. Okay. What’s the offer, then?”

“One word? Blessing.” Gabriel spread his hands, and winked. “Remember what I am, kid? Remember what you used to believe I was, before you ever met an angel? Now, I’m not nearly so strong as I was yesterday, but then there’s a hell of a lot fewer monsters in the world now that there’s less... leftover life force kicking around, shall we say. All scraps tidied up and back to where they should be. Everything bound more or less to the laws of the natural, not the supernatural. So I’m still one of the two most powerful things you’ll ever see; and what I can do still trumps anything you’ll come up against.”

“Huh,” said Sam quietly; and he sat back against the headboard, and closed his laptop, and crossed his arms. “Talk.”

Gabriel tilted his head, and a full grin spread across his face. It was the most relaxed, least bitter expression Sam had ever seen on him, on this ethereal ever-changing creature. “You kids,” he said. “An archangel comes to bestow upon ye a blessing whose like has never been gifted unto man, yea verily and all that jazz, and he gets the third degree. So: healing. I mean, complete healing, everything that’s ever been damaged in your body. That old aching joint in your shoulder from every time it’s been dislocated and broken, the internal scars from every stabbing, all that shit. You’d have to get your tattoos redone. Except you wouldn’t need them, because you’d be impervious to possession, by anything. And all those charms and tricks I’ve learned over the years, for good luck, and for hiding from any supernatural perception that meansharm? Those too. Besides, you know. Bit of a boost to strength, perception, all senses and so on. Maxing out all stats. Nothing superhuman, just the best possible that your human body can do.”

“... Just out of the goodness of your heart?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Pension plan from the universe? Apology for screwing with you those times, except they were hilarious? I’ve got the self-preservation to keep myself in the Winchesters’ good books?”

“And in return?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “If I say a threesome with you and the hot sheriff would you go for it?”

Sam Looked at him.

Gabriel poked his foot. “So don’t go asking after the price of gift horses’ orthodontists. Also, one-off special, exclusive to Sam Winchester—those traces of demon blood left from all those years back? Gone. And if you like I can flip the switch in your head that’s keeping you from accessing all those super-duper psychic powers of yours, so long as you promise not to go all Dark Phoenix with them.”

Sam flinched with his whole body. “Those came from Azazel’s blood.”

“Nope, the blood just let you access them. They’re all yours, kid. You want ‘em?”

“No. _No_.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Your call. The rest of it?”

Sam looked down at his hands, resting in his lap.

“Feels like cheating.”

“If you say so.”

“Dean would never trust me again. I’m not sure _I’d_ trust me again.”

“Maybe you should get over your crapload of issues.”

Sam flipped him off. “Um. Maybe. The healing would be great. And... and the protection, the hiding and all that. But nothing else. Definitely not the... stat boost.”

“ _Winchesters_ ,” said Gabriel dramatically.

“No,” said Sam, and squared his shoulders. “Look. I’ve fought to hard to be human—to _stay_ human. I’m not giving that up. Not now. Especially if you’re right about the world being different. It feels like... like there’s an end in sight, you know?”

Gabriel looked at him with something like softness in his face. “And if that end involves settling down, Sam Winchester? Spouse, family? A brother married, and a niece already? And if something comes for you, for them?”

“I’ll ward everything and everyone the best I can,” said Sam. “Call in favours. From you, if I have to. And then I’ll protect them all with everything I have. And if I fail, I fail, and I’m still _me_. And I fought. And that was my life.”

“Okay,” said Gabriel, after a moment. “Okay then. Give me your hand, kid.”

Sam held out his hand, and the archangel took it.

**Author's Note:**

> "Also," said Gabriel helpfully, "you'll get free wifi wherever you go. Backdated years. Because I like your butt."


End file.
